Birmingham Branch
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ROYAL AIR FORCE REGIMENT ASSOCIATION www.rafregt.org.uk BIRMINGHAM BRANCH Birmingham Branch Birthdays Page 2 Association Reunion and AGM Page 2 – Branch Appeal Goodies for the Military Ward Page 3 Jim Davies of Middlewich, Cheshire Page 3 – ASSOCIA TION REUNION A Picture Jim Handing Over a Cheque Page 3 AND AG M Page 2 From the Branch Secretary Page 3 Death Notices: Page 3 Ken Langley of Salisbury Wilshire Page 3 GOODIES FOR THE Low Flying in Wales Page 4 Page 3 Low Flying Page 5 MILITARY WARD – Low Flying the Facts Page 5 Low Flying Area 7 (LFA7T) Page 5 “ ” “ ” THE GREAT GAME The Great Game Page 6 Page 6 First Anglo/Afghan War, 1838-184 Page 6 Second Anglo/Afghan War 1878-1880 Page 8 NATIONAL MEMORIAL Third Anglo/Afghan War 1919-1919 Page 9 Fourth Anglo/Afghan War 2001-to date Page 9 “ ” ARBORETUM UPDATE Tommy With Apologies to Kipling Page 10 Page 12 RAF Regiment Books Page 11 National Memorial Arboretum Update Page 12 NEWS OF THE RAF Henry Allingham Wreath on Display at NMA Page 12 Royal Naval Patrol Service Memorial Page 12 REGIMENT Page 13 RAFA Memorial Sculpture Nearing Completion Page 13 Future Events at NMA Page 13 News of the RAF Regiment Page 13 Death Notices Page 13 Former Gunner William Malloy Page 13 Former ex-ACC Victor Morte Page 14 General Notices Page 14 Cenotaph Parade Participation Page 14 RAF Regiment Memorial Project 2009 Page 14 “ ” Operation Telic History Capture Page 14 Forming of 8th FP HA & new Field Sqdn Page 14 – Regiment Association Election 2009 Page 15 Another Yeoman Warder from Regiment Page 15 World Record Attempt at Cosford Page 15 Spreading the Word Page 15 The Best Fighters in the RAF Corps Diary Dates Page 15 Joke Time Page 15 Operate on the Ground Dates for Your Diary Page 16 The Royal Air Force Regiment. Birmingham Branch Committee Page 16 Ground-based specialists, NEWSLETTER NO: 243 protecting RAF assets from enemy attack. SEPTEMBER 2009 2 THE BIRMINGHAM BRANCH NEWSLETTER NUMBER 243 SEPTEMBER 2009 of the RAF Regiment. Members will gather for Dear Readers. an informal evening on Friday 2nd October. BRANCH BIRTHDAYS A very Happy Birthday to the following There is important business to discuss and Birmingham Branch members whose birthdays report at the AGM on the morning of Saturday 3rd are this month, may you all have many more. October. The AGM will include the result of the 3rd Sept Bernard Wynn Birmingham West Mids election of the new National Secretary and the CG 7th September Clive Cumber Woking Surrey has arranged for an operational report by a team from No 63 Squadron RAF Regiment (The 9th September Spencer Wilcox Tipton West Mids ’s Colour Squadron), recently returned 15th Sept Roy Thomas S Coldfield West Mids Queen 17th Sept Derek Trust BEM Torquay Devon from Afghanistan. These operational reports have 23rd Sept James Patterson Wolverhampton WM proved immensely popular with Association st members in the past. The Muster Parade and On 21 August our Chairman Steven th Brereton Martin sent me the following important Service will be held on the morning of Sunday 4 announcement. Due to the short time remaining October immediately outside the hotel and in the before the Reunion, I immediately forwarded it by shadow of Coventry Cathedral. In addition there e-mail to all our members who have access to the is a programme for ladies and ample opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones. internet so those members will have already received it. For the benefit of those without THE REUNION IS NOW JUST 6 WEEKS AWAY SO access to the internet I am publishing it here, PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR MEMBERS TO APPLY although by the time the rest of you get it, the FOR TICKETS WITHOUT DELAY Reunion will be less than three weeks away. Tickets can be obtained by contacting Isle ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL of Wight Tours Ltd, 3 New Road, Lake, MEETING AND REUNION Sandown, Isle of Wight PO345 9JN. Telephone ’s Annual General The Association number 01983 405116. Or by e-mail at Meeting and Reunion is the most important event <[email protected]>. Please quote our ’s calendar. in the Association It incorporates the reference number for the event RF56853 in all principal mechanism for the governance of the correspondence. – – Association the AGM as well as a major Branches are encouraged to display their – – social gathering of members the Gala Dinner Standards, alongside the National Standard, at the and the Muster Parade. Gala Dinner (floor stands will be needed) and to This year, the Reunion will take place at parade their Standards at the Muster Parade and the Britannia Hotel in the heart of the City of Service. Dress for the formal elements of the – th Coventry over the weekend 2nd 5 October occasion will be normal Association dress with 2009. The RAF Regiment WOs and SNCOs medals (beret or formal headdress for outside) Association will be holding their AGM and while dress for the formal dinner must include Reunion over the same period and we will be jacket and tie (blazer and trousers, suit or dinner combining for the Gala Dinner. The entire hotel jacket). has been given over to the RAF Regiment The NEC has chosen this hotel because of ’ Associations for the weekend which promises to its excellent reputation among veterans be a happy and successful occasion. organisations and because it is situated as near as Our President, the Commandant General, we can get to the centre of the country with good Air Commodore Steven Abbott CBE RAF and his road and rail links to make travelling as easy as wife will attend, and the Guest of Honour at the possible. The AGM and Reunion is a marvellous Gala Dinner will be Baroness Harris of opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the – Richmond, a long-standing friend and supporter Association and its aims and simply to have a good time among old friends, so please do all you 3 can to encourage a good attendance by your charge when I told them where the money was ’s always a good car boot sale as there members. going. It Steven Brereton Martin. Chairman are always lots of buyers. Photograph enclosed, Goodies for the Military Ward It is most important that we remember the dangers that our young men and women serving on operations are all facing, so please remember the appeal your Branch Committee have set up. With your help, we can continue to provide these small comforts and any other items that the Military Ward staff ask us for. We can never get enough goodies for the lads, so in the mean time, your continued support is appreciated for we need more money and what better way of raising it than the following letter and keep up the good work. Jim and Sheila. describes. It was sent to me last month by Jim ’t Davies of Middlewich, Cheshire. Now I didn L to R Jim Davies, Ray Penny and W/O Wanbon know that the Military Ward could accept Very well done lads, the Branch is proud financial donations as I understood that they had of you and what a good idea. Any other takers for no facilities for financial donations but Jim, we could appeal for car boot sale goods to help Sheila, Ray and Rita have proved me wrong. Ray the funds. As it happens and by coincidence, last Penny is also a member of the Birmingham month W/O Wanbon met the Branch Chairman Branch. Ron Sharp when he gave a talk to the Moseley Jim Davies of Middlewich, Cheshire Branch RAFA about the Military Ward. Hi Malcolm. Sheila and I did a car boot Ron found his talk to be very interesting sale two weeks ago and the night before we went, and took the opportunity afterwards to introduce I printed out two notices to tell everyone that all himself to him. If any of you would like to the money raised from the car boot sale would be contribute items or cash now as I have found out, given to the Military Ward at Selly Oak Hospital. to this appeal, you can either take them directly to It was very slow as first but as it was a very nice Ward S4, Selly Oak Hospital and ask for Warrant day so there were a lot of buyers at first but when Officer A (Alan) Wanbon RAF, or post them to we got set up and pinned the two notices to the him at Patient Support Services, RCDM, Ward table, things picked up. £93.37 with the car S4, Selly Oak Hospital, Raddlebarn Road, Selly We made a total of ’s make it up Oak, Birmingham, B29 6JD. Alan can also be boot sale and my wife Sheila said let £100.00 which we did. We then telephoned our contacted on 07795 801276. to FROM THE BRANCH SECRETARY friends Ray and Rita Penny who live at Rubery, DEATH NOTICES: Birmingham, and arranged to visit Selly Oak LANGLEY KENNETH. I regret to Hospital with them. Ray and Rita added ten inform you of the death of ex-Corporal Ken pounds to our total so when we arrived at the Langley of Ashmore, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Ken hospital and met RAF Regiment Warrant Officer th “Stoney” (Alan) Wanbon we gave him a che who was born on 29 June 1921, died at the age que th £110.00. of 88 on 12 July 2009. Ken enlisted as a Ground for Gunner on 21st February 1941 and after the RAF Warrant Officer Wanbon was absolutely Regiment was formed served with 2788 made up and said that he would have a Squadron.